Preprint

Changes to student mental health during the Covid-19 pandemic

This article is a preprint and has not been certified by peer review [What does this mean?].

Author(s) / Creator(s)

Toth, Eszter
Faherty, Thomas
Mazaheri, Ali
Raymond, Jane E.

Abstract / Description

Background: Although many anecdotal reports and a handful of studies on Asian and European students suggest pandemic-related degradation in student mental health, research on UK undergraduates is lacking. Aim: Our aim was to redress this short fall by assessing how university student mental health in the UK in Autumn 2020 (during the pandemic) compared to previous years. Sample: 762 UK undergraduate students participated in the study. Methods: A well-validated, self-report, 21-item scale, the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) was used to assess mental health. Results were compared to data obtained using the same scale on similar, albeit smaller cohorts in each of the previous three years. Results: Autumn 2020 students reported greater levels of depression and anxiety than their peers from previous years. Stress was high but remained unchanged compared to previous years. Conclusion: Compared to previous years, UK students show elevated symptoms of mental health problems, underscoring the importance of mental health-oriented support for students.

Keyword(s)

university students mental health pandemic depression anxiety stress

Persistent Identifier

Date of first publication

2021-03-01

Publisher

PsychArchives

Citation

Toth, E., Faherty, T., Mazaheri, A., & Raymond, J. E. (2021). Changes to student mental health during the Covid-19 pandemic. PsychArchives. https://doi.org/10.23668/PSYCHARCHIVES.4635
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Toth, Eszter
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Faherty, Thomas
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Mazaheri, Ali
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Raymond, Jane E.
  • PsychArchives acquisition timestamp
    2021-03-01T16:25:49Z
  • Made available on
    2021-03-01T16:25:49Z
  • Date of first publication
    2021-03-01
  • Abstract / Description
    Background: Although many anecdotal reports and a handful of studies on Asian and European students suggest pandemic-related degradation in student mental health, research on UK undergraduates is lacking. Aim: Our aim was to redress this short fall by assessing how university student mental health in the UK in Autumn 2020 (during the pandemic) compared to previous years. Sample: 762 UK undergraduate students participated in the study. Methods: A well-validated, self-report, 21-item scale, the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) was used to assess mental health. Results were compared to data obtained using the same scale on similar, albeit smaller cohorts in each of the previous three years. Results: Autumn 2020 students reported greater levels of depression and anxiety than their peers from previous years. Stress was high but remained unchanged compared to previous years. Conclusion: Compared to previous years, UK students show elevated symptoms of mental health problems, underscoring the importance of mental health-oriented support for students.
    en
  • Publication status
    other
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  • Review status
    notReviewed
    en
  • Sponsorship
    This research was supported by a studentship from The Leverhulme Trust (Forest Edge Project).
    en
  • Citation
    Toth, E., Faherty, T., Mazaheri, A., & Raymond, J. E. (2021). Changes to student mental health during the Covid-19 pandemic. PsychArchives. https://doi.org/10.23668/PSYCHARCHIVES.4635
    en
  • Persistent Identifier
    https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12034/4119
  • Persistent Identifier
    https://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.4635
  • Language of content
    eng
  • Publisher
    PsychArchives
    en
  • Keyword(s)
    university students
    en
  • Keyword(s)
    mental health
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  • Keyword(s)
    pandemic
    en
  • Keyword(s)
    depression
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  • Keyword(s)
    anxiety
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  • Keyword(s)
    stress
    en
  • Dewey Decimal Classification number(s)
    150
  • Title
    Changes to student mental health during the Covid-19 pandemic
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  • DRO type
    preprint
    en